A number of tools and systems are designed for use in connection with the task of resisting or reducing water flow in showerheads. The concern over global warming and the potential for drought in some areas continues to draw attention towards conserving water and energy. Water consumed through indoor and outdoor appliances represents a considerable share of a household's daily water usage in developed countries. Specifically, domestic use ranges from ten to thirty percent of overall water consumption in developed countries, with shower usage being typically the third largest water use in a residence.
In addition to environmental concerns, the Federal government through the Energy Policy Act of 1992, has mandated that many household fixtures must reduce water flow. In particular, all showerheads manufactured or imported into the United States must meet reduced flow requirements of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 pounds per square inch (psi). Prior to this regulation, shower users could consume five to eight gpm.
In order to conform to the federal regulations as well as reduce water and energy consumption, flow restrictors have been utilized in showerhead fixtures. These restrictors are simple disks with small openings, wherein the disks are either incorporated into the showerhead or manufactured as “after-market” inserts, installed at a point between the shower arm and the showerhead.
Despite its proposed utility, this device suffers from a number of deficiencies. For example, because of the configuration of these restrictors, a user may easily remove the disk, resulting in an increase in flow rate to a level that exceeds the 2.5 gpm maximum allowable flow rate. This problem is encountered by landlords in particular who typically must also endure the added water and heating costs without being able to pass those costs on to tenants.
Previous devices have attempted to provide an “after-market” tamper-resistant external flow restrictor using a rotating sleeve to cover the set screw that locks the fitting in place on the showerhead arm. The rotating sleeve of these devices is held in place by an additional screw set. However, a user could easily unscrew the screw holding the rotating sleeve in place, rotate the sleeve, and remove the second set screw in order to detach the flow restrictor from the showerhead arm.
One solution to remedy this problem is provided in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/657,838 (“Schwartz”). Schwartz discloses providing a flow restrictor concealed behind a shower wall and using a tamper-resistant fitting that is curved on all sides thereby hindering a user from utilizing any tool to unscrew the fitting. Instead, a knowledgeable worker must first remove the flow-restrictor disk from a fitting and insert a tool into a tool-hole hidden behind the flow-restrictor disk in order to completely remove the remaining portion of the flow-restrictor assembly. However, in order to optimize flow restriction, it is desirable for the flow-restrictor disk to always fit securely and tightly against all walls of the flow restrictor assembly. A flow-restrictor assembly that utilizes a flow-restrictor disk that can be dislodged in some manner to create a gap between the flow-restrictor disk and fitting within which it is positioned may decrease the effectiveness of the flow restrictor assembly and potentially lead to increased water usage. Furthermore, another deficiency in the prior art is the current water flow restrictor devices are designed solely for use along with a showerhead fixture, with no corresponding water flow restrictor device designed for use with bathtub fixtures. Because usage of a bathtub faucet is typically associated with filling a bathtub to a desired water level while the drain of the bathtub is blocked with a stopper, there appears to be no incentive to use of a flow restrictor device in a bathtub faucet. However, many use bathtub faucets for other purposes, such as running water for use in bathroom or household cleaning. In these situations, the drain stopper may be left open while water flows from the bathtub faucet. Thus, there is a need for a flow restrictor device to be used with a bathtub faucet.